Epeorus (Caucasiron) shargi Hrivniak & Sroka, 2020

Hrivniak, Ľubos, Sroka, Pavel, Bojkova, Jindriska & Godunko, Roman J., 2020, Identification guide to larvae of Caucasian Epeorus (Caucasiron) (Ephemeroptera, Heptageniidae), ZooKeys 986, pp. 1-53 : 1

Epeorus (Caucasiron) shargi Hrivniak & Sroka, 2020 Figs 42 , 43 , 44

Type locality.

Iran, Golestan Province, Shirinabad village, unnamed river; 36°48'01.44"N / 55°01'05.78"E (locality no. 108); 740 m a.s.l.

Distribution.

Northern Iran. Known only from three sites in the eastern Alborz (Fig. 42 ).

Habitat.

Larvae inhabit streams at middle altitude, 740-1450 m a.s.l. (Fig. 42 ).

Main morphological diagnostics of larvae.

(i) abdominal terga V-VII with triangular or T-shaped medial macula (Fig. 43I-K ); (ii) abdominal sterna without coloration pattern (Fig. 43B, L ); (iii) tergum X without postero-lateral projections (Fig. 44J ); (iv) femora with medial hypodermal spot (Fig. 43F-H ); (v) gill plates VII (in natural position from ventral view) wide (Figs 43M , 44H, I ); (vi) setae on abdominal terga hair-like (Fig. 44E ); (vii) gill plates III with well-developed projection (Fig. 44G ); (viii) shape of head of male oval trapezoidal (Fig. 43D ).

Remarks.

Taxonomy. This species was described based on larvae collected from Alborz Mts. ( Hrivniak et al. 2020a). Imagines not described. The type series is currently deposited in SMNS, IECA, and MMTT_DOE.

Figures

Figure 42. Geographical (left) and vertical (right) distribution of Epeorus (Caucasiron) shargi.

Figure 43. Epeorus (Caucasiron) shargi, larva: A habitus in dorsal view B habitus in ventral view C habitus in lateral view D head of male in dorsal view E head of female in dorsal view F-H middle leg in dorsal view I-K abdominal terga L abdominal sterna II-VI M gills VII (in natural position from ventral view).

Figure 44. Epeorus (Caucasiron) shargi, larva: A labrum (left half in dorsal view right half in ventral view) B incisors of left mandible C incisors of right mandible D setae on dorsal surface of femora E surface and posterior margin of abdominal tergum VII F gill I G gill III H gill VII (flattened on slide) I gill VII (in natural position from ventral view) J abdominal segments VIII-X in lateral view K sternum IX of female with observed variability.